Mechanical fiber flexing device



H. H. BAILEY MECHANICAL FIBER FLEXING DEVICE May 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1965 MECHANICAL FIBER FLE X I N G D E V I CE United States Patent Ofiice 3,321,939 Patented May 30, 1967 Connecticut Filed Feb. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 430,072 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-22) This invention is concerned with a device for flexing wet, spread-out, open-width textile webs and is particularly concerned with improvements which permit the machine to operate on webs which have low wet strengths.

In my United States Patent, 3,136,146, June 9, 1964, a machine was disclosed which treats a spread-out textile web by submerging it in a liquid bath and then subjecting the web to two types of motion simultaneously. The essential element in the machine is a polygonal array of rolls, each of which has a face composed of two helices outrunning from the center of the roll to left and right, to the ends of the roll. The array, usually comprising three rolls, is mounted on an axle which rotates in counter di rection to the movement of a web which runs in contact with them as the web travels through the bath. In consequence of the rotation of the entire array, the upper and lower reaches of the web, which extend between guide rolls and the array, are rapidly moved up and down in the liquid. At the same time, the rotation of the rolls by reason of their frictional engagement with the web causes a series of moving corrugations to form as the web is pulled into contact with the helices which form the face of the rolls. These corrugations cause a twisting and untwisting of the individual fibers as the array turns.

The device has proved highly satisfactory for a number of operations in the wet-finishing of a large range of fabrics, but certain very delicate fabrics and webs in which the fibers are loosely bonded can be damaged by the action of the machine.

The present invention permits the machine to operate on the entire range of textile fabrics and reduces the strains imposed on the fabric to such low levels that even the most delicate webs can be run through the apparatus rapidly and without damage.

The machine may best be understood by reference to the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a transverse, sectional view of and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotating array.

The machine 10 comprises the tank 11 provided with a fluid inlet 12 and an outflow passage 13. Guide rolls 14, 15, and 16, which direct the web 17 through the liquid, are mounted on the axles 18, 19, and 21, which extend transversely to the path of web travel between the side walls 22, 23 of the tank. The orbiting rollers 24, 25, and 26 are mounted on two plates 27-27, each fixed to the transverse axle 28 close to the respective side wall 22 or 23. Plates 2727, also provide support for the idler sheaves 56, 57, and 58, if used.

As in the machine described in Patent 3,136,146, the face of the rollers 24, 25, and 26 is formed as a double oppositely-directed helix outrunning from the center of each roll (see FIG. 2).

Web 17, which first may pass through a pre-wet tank and over the guide roll 31 which is mounted just above the top margin 32 of the end wall 33 of the tank 11, passes under guide roll 14 (which may be a brush) and is trained over the entire array 34 of orbiting rolls 24, 25, and 26. Leaving the array, the web 17 passes around guide roll 15 and then runs beneath the array 34, passing around guide roll 16 (which may be a brush), and upwardly following a diagonal path to the expander roll 35. From the expander roll, the web passes over guide roll 36, which is the apparatus,

mounted on brackets which extend above the lateral margins 38-38 of tank 11. The web then passes around the lower squeeze roll 3?, and through the bite between roll 39 and the upper pivoted squeeze roll 41. Commonly the web is trained over an elevated guide roll 42, down under the dancing roll 43, and upwardly over guide roll 44. Hence the web is drawn through the tank by passing between rolls 39 and 41, which act not only as squeeze rolls but also as draw rolls.

Shaft 45, which carries roll 39, is the main power shaft which is connected to a power source (not shown) usually by cogged transmission belts. As the arrow shows, roll 39 rotates clockwise.

Shaft 45 carries a gear 46, which meshes with gear 47 mounted on the shaft 48. Accordingly, gear 47 turns in a counterclockwise direction. Shaft 48 also carries the belt pulley 49, appropriately-sized to cause the belt 51 to move at the exact surface speed of the web.

As shown in FIG. 1, belt 51 passes over the drive pulleys 63, 64, and 65, which are attached to the ends of the shafts 52, 53, and 54, which respectively support the helically-faced rolls 24, 25, and 26. Idler pulley 55 maintains a proper tension on the belt. In one embodiment, idler sheaves 56, 57, and 53, mounted on the roll support shafts 59, 61, and 62, engage the belt 51 (see FIG. 1) and further reduce the drag.

When the array 34 is stationary, travel at the same surface speed and as does the web 17. However when the array 34 revolves in a clockwise direction on shaft 28, the surface speed of the rolls is modified by the peripheral velocity of the array.

When the rolls 24, 25, and 26 follow their orbital path each roll in turn will lose contact with the web for approximately of rotation. If the rolls are not power driven, since they operate while submerged in liquid, there is a rapid deceleration during this 120 interval. As the roll comes in contact again with the web, a pull is exerted on the web 17 as the engagement of the web and the roll causes the roll to accelerate. By keeping the rolls traveling at the surface speed of the web, this pulsating pull, which can be of sufiicient magnitude to damage extremely weak and delicate fabrics, is greatly reduced.

The reduction in drag which results is marked and is of sufficient magnitude to permit sheer rayons, low denier tricots, and rayon velvets to be run at the same speed and with the same effective results as result when fabrics having somewhat higher wet strengths are run through the apparatus ofmy prior patent.

In the case of dyeing, the improvement is particularly marked the penetration of the dye is improved in weak, sheer fabrics, and the color which results is remarkably even.

Commonly in wet-finishing operations such devices are run in ranges of 2 or 3, open soaping, e.g., taking place in one of the machines and rinsing operations taking place in the machine or machines that follow. Consequently, the web, after passing over guide roll 44,. may run directly into a companion machine, pass on into a fabric dryer, or be rolled up.

I claim:

1. In a textile wet-finishing machine having a tank to hold liquid and in which the goods pass through the liquid bath in open width, the combination of a set of squeeze rolls located adjacent the exit arranged to draw a textile web through the machine, power means to drive one of said squeeze rolls, a power-driven array including a shaft and oppositely-positioned end plates, the said array includmg a plurality of shafts journalled between the said end plates in a polygonal arrangement, each of said shafts bearing a helically-faced roll, a pulley on each shaft, a belt trained over each of said pulleys arranged to receive all rolls in the array in the same direction its power from power transmitting means connected to the said squeeze roll power shaft, the said power transmitting means being further arranged to rotate the helical rolls at the surface speed of a web passing through the machine.

2. In a textile wet-finishing machine having a tank to hold liquid and in which the goods pass through the bath in open width, the combination of power-driven means located adjacent the exit to draw a web of teXtile material through the machine, a rotatable array positioned below the liquid level in said tank, including a shaft, oppositely positioned end plates on said shaft and a plurality of helically-faced rolls journalled between said end-plates in polygonal arrangement, power means to rotate the array, and power-connected means to rotate each of said helically-faced rolls in the direction of web travel at the surface speed of the web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,095 7/1885 Worrall 6843 1,555,864 10/1925 McConnell 68-175 2,474,717 6/1949 Belcher 68175 X 3,136,146 6/ 1964 Bailey 6843 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A TEXTILE WET-FINISHING MACHINE HAVING A TANK TO HOLD LIQUID AND IN WHICH THE GOODS PASS THROUGH THE BATH IN OPEN WIDTH, THE COMBINATION OF POWER-DRIVEN MEANS LOCATED ADJACENT THE EXIST TO DRAW A WEB OF TEXTILE MATERIAL THROUGH THE MACHINE, A ROTATABLE ARRAY POSITIONED BELOW THE LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID TANK, INCLUDING A SHAFT, OPPOSITELY POSITIONED END PLATES ON SAID SHAFT AND A PLURALITY OF HELICALLY-FACED ROLLS JOURNALLED BETWEEN SAID END-PLATES IN POLYGONAL ARRANGEMENT, POWER MEANS TO ROTATE THE ARRAY, AND POWER-CONNECTED MEANS TO ROTATE EACH OF SAID HELICALLY-FACED ROLLS IN THE DIRECTION OF WEB TRAVEL AT THE SURFACE SPEED OF THE WEB. 